


My Home is a Throne

by lionessvalenti



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Tatooine, ToT: Chocolate Box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-17 21:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12374949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: Sabé goes on one final mission for Padmé.





	My Home is a Throne

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamiflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamiflame/gifts).



> _My home is a throne,_  
>  _not very pretty, but tough as stone_  
>  -Queens, by Misterwives

Sabé had walked the funeral procession. It was supposed to be a path of mourning, to release her grief, but she had none. As she sat in front of her mirrored vanity, she stared into her reflection. Her cheeked had hollowed in a way that made her cheekbones more prominent, but her eyes had not changed in ten years.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. How in the hell was she supposed to go on, never being alone in a room again? When she signed up for this life as a teenager -- as a child -- no one ever told her that losing her Queen would be losing a part of herself. The truth was, she never thought she would lose Padmé.

The tension in Sabé's hands and shoulders released at the sound of a knock at the door. She stood and turned her back to the mirror. "Come in."

The door opened and Obi Wan Kenobi stepped into her small apartment. He looked so much older than the last time she had seen him. There were flecks of grey at his temples and in his beard. When she thought of him, she still imagined the padawan who called her highness.

"Master Kenobi," Sabé said with a slight bow. Formality was habit. "I thought you would have left by now."

"I'll be leaving by the end of the day," Obi Wan replied. His jaw flexed as he paused, but he never lost eye contact with her. "I needed to speak with you. Now, if you can."

She blinked a bit, at his briskness. While she had Obi Wan since she was fifteen years old, they had only seen each other in passing, but had always been friendly when they crossed paths. He always had a teasing glint in his eye, even as he graduated to Jedi Master with a padawan of his own. Now, his face was somber. Of course it was.

"The floor is yours,," Sabé said. "How can I help you?"

He appraised her for a second, taking in her funeral garb: black velvet pants, with a matching waistcoat over a silvery top with flowing sleeves. Her hair was pulled up in a ornate bun, to honor a fallen Queen. When he seemed satisfied with his summation, he asked, "How would you feel about taking on one more mission for Padmé?"

Sabé's eyes widened. Her skin tingled and she felt sick all at once. "What do you mean?"

"I tell you this because I know that you have only ever been loyal toPadmé, even after you left her service. I trust that even if you cannot take on this burden, you will keep this information to yourself, due to the... er, current political status of the galaxy."

The newly risen Empire, grown on her own home planet. Sabé nodded. At the end of the day, she was a soldier. She'd held every political secret of the Queen Amidala. Whatever secret died with Padmé, she would keep it.

Obi Wan paused quite dramatically. "Padmé gave birth before she died. Her children are strong. Healthy."

"Children?" Sabé asked. She'd known of the pregnancy, of course. She may have not worked for Padmé directly for many years, but she still kept contact with many of the her handmaidens for information that may pertain to the safety of Naboo.

"A boy and girl. The girl is being sent to a family with safeguards to be raised as their own. No one would ever know that she was not, biologically, their child. I am taking the boy to his family on Tatooine."

"You would like me to accompany you on the trip."

"I would like you to come with me, yes." Obi Wan took a breath and met her gaze. "I would like you to stay with him."

Sabé hadn't seen much of Tatooine. Her recollection of the place was mostly grounded in quiet evenings with her fellow handmaidens and the occasional awkward encounter with Obi Wan, while she kept up her persona as Queen. All she had seen from the window was desert. Padmé had told her some of the poor working conditions of indentured slaves, and the boy they had brought with them -- who could now be the ruin of them all.

"No," Sabé said, and Obi Wan's eyes widened. "And you shouldn't take either of the children anywhere. You should drown the both of them before anyone else learns of their existence."

"Sabé! I thought you would show more compassion for Padmé's children."

"Padmé is dead. And if those children end up in the hands of the Empire--"

"That is exactly what I'm trying to prevent," Obi Wan snapped. His expression was one of stone. "But I will not resort to murdering children. That is the Sith thing to do."

"It is the logical thing to do. The children of a powerful Sith Lord and Naboo Queen? They won't even need to be in the grasp of the Empire to be strong. Too strong to contain."

"Raised well, they will not need to be contained. If you do not wish to join me on Tatooine, that is fine. And I do expect that you will keep this information to yourself, for the matter of safety for the galaxy." He took a few long, deep breaths, and as he did, his features softened. "Since we will not be drowning the children, would you like to meet them?"

Sabé had very little use for babies. Many of her fellow handmaidens had gone on to marry and bear children, but the idea of following suit held little appeal for her. She stuck to her career in the Naboo army, working directly with the Gungans as liaison between the two militaries.

However, she loved Padmé, as any handmaiden loved their Queen. Padmé was gone, and all that was left of her were two babies. Even if they were half... that boy, she would see them.

Obi Wan led her through a series of halls and to a room with guards. Inside, was a small room containing two bassinets, and Bail Organa, holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a royal red blanket.

So, the girl child was going to Alderaan. It was a good choice. Alderaan was politically neutral as a planet, though Organa himself had been a strong ally to Padmé. He would be a quiet key player in the uprising that was already forming against the Empire.

As Obi Wan and Organa spoke, Sabé approached the bassinets. One was empty, and the other contained a child swaddled in his own royal red blanket. His eyes were open, though being newly born, he focused on nothing. At the sight of him, she regretted suggesting he be drowned. He was an innocent in this, and Padmé would not have wanted him killed, even for the safety of the galaxy. She would have protected him fiercely. She would have died all over again to be sure he was to survive. It only took a moment, and Sabé knew what she had to do.

"I will go with you," she said, tearing her gaze from the baby to look at Obi Wan. His low conversation with Organa stopped abruptly. "I will protect this child."

Obi Wan smiled and she sensed this had been his plan the entire time. "How quickly can you pack?"

"I have arrangements to make first," Sabé said. Her belongings were few, but her responsibilities were many. "I'll meet you both at dusk."

* * *

This was not the first time Sabé had given up her life for another. Swearing fealty to a Queen at the age of fourteen meant leaving a part of yourself behind. She said as much to Obi Wan as their small transport ship travelled the slow back channels to the outer planet of Tatooine.

"It's much like being a Jedi," Obi Wan responded. They sat together on a leather settee that was built into the wall of the ship. It could seat three, but they remained on opposite ends of it. "Though we begin training so young, there isn't much choice in the matter. Giving it up and going back to your family is hardly an option when your family are strangers and your Master is your family."

Sabé nodded. Though she knew her family, she understood. It was about sacrifice. She peered at the child in his arms. "What is his name?"

"Luke," Obi Wan said, gazing down at the child fondly. "Padmé named him."

"Luke Amidala," Sabé said with a bit of a smile, pleased with the sound of it.

Obi Wan's brow furrowed and he looked up at her. "No, Skywalker."

Her jaw dropped, and it was everything she could do not to jump to her feet in her outrage. "He's the child of a Queen of Naboo! That overrules your patriarchal system of naming. Do you know nothing of Naboo tradition?"

He smiled and settled back, cuddling the babe close to his chest. "Tell me."

Sabé knew he was baiting her, teasing her even, but if he cared only for the name of evil, she could step into a lecture."When a Queen gives up her family name to take on her title as Queen, she holds her title as name after her terms. Husbands of Queens take their name, as do their children." Sabé frowned. "Though I suppose your... boy wouldn't have done that, given the nature of their marriage."

Obi Wan was quiet for a minute, except for a few comforting noises to Luke. "Does Naboo have Kings? I've only ever met Queens."

"You're changing the subject," Sabé said with a scowl, but then she sighed. "There have been Naboo Kings, yes, but few, and none in recent generations. I suppose we find women more trustworthy. I imagine now, we'll never have another man in a position of power after..."

"You truly cannot speak the names of people you hate, can you?" Obi Wan asked with a raised eyebrow.

She pulled a face, sucking her cheeks between her molars. "I avoid it if I can. I imagine as a Jedi, you strive to hate no one and be a beacon of light."

"I do strive to hate no one," he agreed, but he followed it with a sigh of his own. The good natured sparkle vanished from his eyes. "I don't imagine I'm a Jedi any longer. The galaxy is no longer a safe place to be a Jedi. If I intend to keep the child safe, I will have to find a way to dampen my connection to the Force, as not to attract attention."

Sabé lifted her feet onto her seat, pulling her knees to her chest. "Why did you bring me here, Master Kenobi? There's nothing I can do that you wouldn't be able to."

Obi Wan shook his head. "That's untrue. It will be important for Luke's family to dampen his connection to the Force as well. As you said, he's the child of a powerful Sith and a Naboo Queen. I can already feel his essence strong within the Force and he's not even aware of it. If he spends too much time with me, it will spark it, unintentionally in both of us. I need someone who can protect him and stay close to him. An accomplished military woman as yourself, one with a loyalty to his mother, you're the perfect fit."

She felt the urge to argue with him, but stayed silent. She was more comfortable fighting with him than she was accepting his compliments.

"And no more of this 'Master Kenobi' business," he said, his voice shifting into a lighter tone. "I am no one's master anymore. Call me Ben."

"Ben?" Sabé repeated.

"My given name," he replied with a sheepish smile. "Some padawans will release their given names to one reflecting their master. Not all do, and it's certainly not required, but it shows a level of devotion to being a Jedi. It's a bit of a calling. And as for you, Sabé, your name certainly gives you away as being from Naboo."

"I have to hide that I'm from Naboo?"

Obi Wan -- Ben -- shifted Luke in his arms. "His family has met Padmé, and they knew where she was from, and her status. I'd prefer it if they did not know that you were there to watch over him. They will know I'm there and why, but you understand the need for a stealth mission."

She frowned, but she did understand. "Well, Sabé is my given name, so I will have to find another." After a few moments of silence, she said, "Do you like Sabine? It's close, but not quite so... Naboo."

He smiled, the light coming back to his eyes. "Yes, I like it. And your surname? Is it very Naboo?"

Sabé hesitated. She knew he wasn't going to like her answer. "It's Amidala."

Obi Wan nearly dropped Luke. "Your surname is Amidala?"

"As the Queen gives up her family name in service of Naboo, her handmaidens give up their family names in service of the Queen. If I'd wanted to change it back after, or if I had married, I could have, but I did neither." She took a deep breath. "Like your Jedi name, it's symbolic of our devotion."

He laughed. It was a hearty sound that filled the entire room. It was the first time she'd heard anyone laugh since Padmé's death. The sound of it lightened her in a way she did not expect.

"You wanted this child to have your surname without giving up one or the other?" He laughed again. "That's hardly stealth, Sabé."

Sabé flushed. She hadn't considered it from that angle. "I suppose you have a point, but Luke still has the surname of Darth Vader. Is that not a give away of his parentage?"

"Fair," Obi Wan said with a little shrug. "Well, having her surname will certainly give you away as well."

"My family name was Berhen. I will return to that," Sabé said. She dropped her feet to the floor and moved over next to Obi Wan. She held out her arms. "I promise I won't drown him."

Obi Wan chuckled and handed her the baby. "I imagine that was rooted in grief and anger rather than a practical solution."

Sabé gazed down at the sleeping child in her arms, an emotion resembling fondness bubbling in her stomach. "Exactly the opposite. If I hadn't laid eyes on him, I would have suggested it until you left the planet because it _is_ the most practical solution. When I saw him, though, I saw him through Padmé's eyes and I couldn't let anyone harm him. Protecting him is my grief and anger personified because she will never have the opportunity to protect him herself.'

He caressed a gentle finger across Luke's forehead and softly said, "Then I'm glad to have you with me, Sabine Berhen. Though to me, you'll always be Your Highness."

Despite herself, Sabé smiled.

* * *

Tatooine had changed very little since Sabé had last been there. It was all desert, dust, and suns. The cities were the same color as the sand, blending them into the landscape and making them impossible to see from a distance.

The climate of Naboo was quite mild, so her clothes were all thick, heavy material that stuck to her as she walked through Mos Espa. Her hair was pinned back in a practical braided bun, but some of the stray hairs plastered themselves to her sweaty skin. She enviously eyed the lightweight clothes of those who passed by her. They eyed her as well, but she knew those stares. She had received many of them from the Gungans in the early days of her work with their military.

She was an outsider.

Sabé straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin as she made her way to a tavern.

Obi Wan was dropping Luke off with his family, and her joining him went against her purpose being there. No arrangements had been made prior to their leaving, so it was up to them to find living arrangements and work. Sabé had a modest savings and Obi Wan had a fair amount, as he had put it, from the now disbanded Jedi Council, plus a hearty donation from Bail Organa.

She stepped into the tavern and was hit with the heady scent of body odor and stale alcohol. She took a look around, assessing any threats, but for the most part, everyone looked like lazy afternoon drunks. Beside the smell, it was cool inside, and it was a relief against the dry heat of outside.

"Mead," Sabé said, taking a seat at the bar.

The barkeep didn't move to fix her drink, but leered at her. His breath stank of rot and his white hair was full of knots. "You've never been here before."

"No, I have not," she replied, her back straightening. "But I would like a mead. Please."

"We don't serve women in this bar without a fee," he said. "One that I take in the back room."

Sabé pressed her lips into a line. She could leave and find another bar, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be welcomed warmly anywhere else. "Looking around, I see three ways I could kill you without moving from my seat. Another dozen if I decided to stand. You can serve me my drink and we can be civilized, or I'll pour my own drink over the remains of your corpse. You can test me on this if you like, but I'm afraid it would be too late."

The barkeep's eyes widened. He hesitated, as if figuring out if she was serious or not. "Mead, it was?"

She smiled. "It was."

When his back was turned, she sagged her shoulders. She knew Tatooine was a rough place, with a bad reputation, but she never thought she would have been propositioned and threatening death after less than an hour planetside. She could have handled the situation better, but it was done. Perhaps these were situations she'd have to adjust to.

She was working her way through her second glass when she was joined by Obi Wan.

"It's done?" she asked. She didn't ask how he knew where to find her.

He nodded. "It was, ah, more difficult than I thought it would be."

Sabé pushed the remains of her drink to him. "Here."

Obi Wan picked up the glass and drank it a single gulp. He pulled a face, apparently not expecting the strength of it. "Thank you."

"What's next?" Sabé asked.

"It's late. We'll go back to the ship for the night and then I think it would be wise if we were to part ways for some time. I don't want to rouse too much suspicion of our collusion. We'll come up with a backstory for you, a reason to why you're here."

"There's no better reason than the truth. The Empire already has a hold on my planet and I left to find a better life. Here on the outer rim, I can find some peace after the death of my sister." Sabé took a breath. "Despite the... criminal element of this planet, there is honest work. I'm not afraid of hard work."

Obi Wan smiled. "I know you're not. Were you thinking of going to the moisture farms?"

"I imagine so. It's the main source of on-planet revenue. I could go into legal export, but that would keep me away for weeks at a time. I suppose it would be too forward to work on the Lars' farm."

"There's a neighboring farm," Obi Wan said. "They work together a lot, and everyone seems to know each other. If they aren't looking for workers, you may be recommended to the Larses. The beginning of the harvest is only a few weeks away."

Sabé closed her eyes. "I think I'm ready to go back to the ship."

"Too much to drink?" Obi Wan asked, a smile in his voice.

"Too much unknown."

He reached over and took her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He smiled warmly. "I know exactly what you mean."

* * *

The transport ship could hardly be considered spacious, having enough room for Sabé, Obi Wan, and little else. Luke had been a small package, but without him, the ship felt positively empty.

She perched herself on the edge of the settee, holding her back straight, and her chin up. For the first time since she'd heard the new of Padmé's death, she felt the burn of tears at her eyes. She had not cried in a long time.

"Sabé?"

She looked up at Obi Wan, and he gazed down at her with compassion. He was truly good, that she knew. He would listen. He would understand.

"When I was young, Padmé and I looked so alike that I once couldn't tell if I was looking into a mirror or at her face. It was more than dressing up and pretending to be her. I had to know everything she thought. Politically, personally. I had learn her movements, the way of her speech. The royal inflection helped, of course, but it was so much more. I had to become her, completely. There were times when we were so in tune with one another, I could have told you what she was thinking.

"By the end of her term as Queen, I was too tall to be a proper decoy. My face had changed, while hers stayed the same. Once we no longer looked alike, we began to part ways Slowly, at first, but I couldn't follow her to the senate like some of the other girls. I joined the military and she married that boy. I should have known before she did it, but I didn't. I didn't know what she was thinking anymore. I'd never felt further away from her."

Obi Wan sat down next to her and took her hand like he had in the tavern. He didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.

"Holding Luke, it was..." Sabé swallowed hard to keep her voice from breaking. "It was like being in her shoes once again like I had been when we were girls. I knew what she wanted for him, that I should keep him safe. Now that he's gone, I have to face the truth of her being gone, too."

"Sabé," Obi Wan said in a low, comforting voice, almost with a hint of a laugh. He leaned in close and rested his forehead to her temple. She could feel his breath on her neck as he spoke. "You were always a part of Padmé, and you always will be, even now. And not only that, you've become an accomplished woman in your own right, apart from her as well."

A tear slid down Sabé's cheek.

"As for Luke, I have no doubt you'll find your way to the Lars farms. You won't lose him. And when he looks at you, whether he realizes it or not, he will see the face of his mother. You have a piece of Padmé with you in him, and he'll have a piece of her in you."

Sabé turned to face and held a hand to his cheek. His beard was rough beneath her palm. "Thank you."

He smiled. "It's all true. Your place is always with Padmé, even now."

Sabé's skin tingled. She had spent a life of service and regretted not a moment of it. However, if this was the last night of her old life, she was going to have something for herself. "When you said that you were no longer a Jedi... did that mean you were no longer celibate?"

"Celibate?" Obi Wan repeated. He leaned away from her, perhaps shocked at her statement, or the abrupt change in subject. "I'm not celibate. I don't have romantic attachments, but I'm not--"

"Good." Sabé leaned in and kissed him. He hesitated for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She could feel the heat of his body through his robes, and the tingling spread throughout her body like fireworks. She pressed her mouth to his ear and whispered, "Take me to your bed, Master Kenobi."

Obi Wan gathered her up in his arms to carry her to the small bunk room. "As you wish, Your Highness."


End file.
